Appearing first on tour with his older brother Maurice and later joined by their Dad, Gregory Hines has been dancing, joking, singing, and performing in front of audiences for most of his life. He received three straight Tony nominations for Best Actor in a Musical for Eubie! (1978–79), Comin' Uptown (1979–80). and Sophisticated Ladies (1981–82). His film credits include Mel Brooks's History of the World-Part I (1981), Coppola's The Cotton Club (1984), and White Nights (1985) opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov. He had roles in several films in the 1990s, including comedies ( Renaissance Man, 1994), romances (The Preacher's Wife, 1996), and dramas (Waiting to Exhale, 1995). He got his own sitcom in 1997, the eponymously titled Gregory Hines Show (1997–98).